Experts and local women share ideas for how to enjoy the foods you want without finding yourself in a caloric nightmare this holiday season

Dec. 13, 2013

Written by

Lisa Lavia Ryan

Special to the Register

It’s difficult enough to try to manage food cravings over the holidays, with smorgasbords of sweet and savory richness tempting our palates at every turn. For women who happen to be pregnant this time of year, holiday cravings can couple with gestational ones to create a caloric nightmare.

But pregnant women are eating for two, right? So holiday cravings don’t necessarily need to result in disaster, do they?

That depends, said Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. In an interview with the website WebMD, Zied said contrary to popular belief, pregnancy cravings don’t necessarily indicate a mother’s body is deficient in critical nutrients. Sometimes, Zied said, women want certain foods simply because they taste good.

“It’s possible that women who are feeling nauseous, bloated, tired, or crabby due to the effects of pregnancy hormones look for foods to increase their comfort level,” Zied told WebMD. “Some women who deprive themselves when they’re not pregnant think of pregnancy as a time to treat themselves to foods they typically avoid.”

So what’s the best strategy for moms-to-be who are experiencing cravings but don’t want to have to dread the scale after the holidays?

Zied suggests giving in — within reason — and eating small portions of lower-fat versions of favorite foods. “(When I was pregnant and) wanted those foods, I really wanted them, so I gave in, always mindful of how much I was eating,” she said.

Zied also suggests moms-to-be feel free to indulge in healthier cravings, such as those for dairy and other calcium-containing foods that can help strengthen bones.

She cautions, however, that pregnant women should always steer clear of some foods, no matter how strong the cravings; those include raw and undercooked seafood, meat, and eggs; unpasteurized milk and any foods made from it; unpasteurized juice; raw vegetable sprouts, including alfalfa, clover, and radish; herbal teas and, of course, alcohol.

Don’t get confused by studies and articles that claim alcohol and undercooked seafood is perfectly safe, said Jamie Butterworth, a nurse practitioner at Obstetrical and Gynecological Practitioners, a Mercy Clinic, in Des Moines.

“We used to hear, ‘oh a glass of red wine here and there is fine,’ ” Butterworth said. “But you won’t find a doctor now who will recommend that. Different women metabolize alcohol differently, so it’s just not safe to OK it.”

As far as fish and shellfish, she said, the problem is high mercury content. The clinic’s guidelines recommend avoiding fish high in mercury (fish that eat other fish, Butterworth said) and fish caught in local waters. The guideline says eating up to 12 ounces a week of low-mercury fish (shrimp, canned tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish are good examples), is perfectly fine.

New moms in central Iowa also have good insights when it comes to ways to avoid going overboard with holiday must-haves. Here, they “weigh in” with some ideas for keeping the scale under control this holiday season.

Krysten Williams, Urbandale: “I craved pizza and jelly-filled doughnuts, but also Brussels sprouts. I tried to control the pizza and doughnuts — thankfully, the doughnut cravings came late in the pregnancy — but I let myself have all the Brussels sprouts I wanted!”

Christa Sibert, Des Moines: “I craved sweets, and normally I am not a sweets person at all. I typically hate doughnuts, but I found myself wanting them. I didn’t give in too often, but once in a while, I decided it was OK. But when I really wanted sweets, I tried to turn to fruit first to see if that would do the trick. I also upped my protein to see if that would make a difference.”

Ashley Quick, Urbandale: “I wanted things that tasted good, but I also wanted to be nutritionally balanced, so I made sure to eat sharp cheddar cheese and a Red Delicious apple every night before bed.”

Kristen Kroll, Ankeny: “I went through a stint where I wanted soft pretzels, McDonald’s cheeseburgers, KFC mashed potatoes and Long John Silver’s hush puppies. I let myself have everything I wanted, in small portions, because I couldn’t think about anything else until I had it. Good thing this was only a short stint.”

Shelby Ryan, Johnston: “I craved chocolate cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is healthy, right? I just added cocoa powder, which also isn’t too bad, and I let myself have all I wanted.”

Kati Medick, Des Moines: “I craved sweets. I could have eaten them all day, but I tried to hold out for one per day and make it a really good one.”